State Authorization Regulations

If you are a Nebraska Methodist College student (or prospective student) who will not reside in Nebraska while enrolled in Nebraska Methodist College courses or clinical, please be aware of the following information:

What state authorization means for you

State Authorization refers to a regulation released in 2010 by the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) which focuses on the requirement for institutions offering distance education to obtain approval from any state or territory in which distance education is offered. Each state has its own regulations governing requirements for authorization. Institutions that are not compliant within the states in which they operate distance education (online and correspondence) may be subject to state sanctions. Therefore, current students must notify Nebraska Methodist College of an address change as soon as possible to ensure distance education compliance. For more information on State Authorization regulations, please visit the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations.

If you are considering an academic program that leads to a professional license in your state, it is highly recommended that you first seek guidance from the appropriate licensing agency in your home state BEFORE beginning the academic program located outside your state.

State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (SARA)

The State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement is an agreement among member states, districts and territories that establishes comparable national standards for interstate offering of postsecondary distance education courses and programs. It is intended to make it easier for students to take online courses offered by postsecondary institutions based in another state. SARA is overseen by a National Council, referred to as NC-SARA, and administered by four regional education compacts. The State of Nebraska is a member of SARA under the direction of the Nebraska Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education.

Nebraska Methodist College has been approved as institution to offer distance courses through the compact agreement to member states.

NMC is currently authorized, licensed, exempt or not subject to approval in the following states. For states not part of SARA, NMC monitors developments in laws and regulations for offering distance education and clinical/fieldwork experiences.

To file a complaint with the State of Nebraska approval agency, Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education, or other relevant State of Nebraska officials or agencies, please see the information located at the following link https://ccpe.nebraska.gov/student-complaints-against-postsecondary-institutions. Please note that the Commission cannot, by law, review complaints related to course grades, academic sanctions, or discipline/conduct matters.